Plaintiff inmates, represented by the ACLU National Prison Project, filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina against officials at the Mecklenburg County, NC Jail ("Jail") on April 3, 1990 under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that a variety ...
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Plaintiff inmates, represented by the ACLU National Prison Project, filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina against officials at the Mecklenburg County, NC Jail ("Jail") on April 3, 1990 under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that a variety of conditions violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The parties negotiated a consent decree, which was approved by the court (Judge Robert D. Potter) on November 13, 1990.

The consent decree ordered the Jail to institute population limits, create a maximum time in the intake center of 48 hours, and increase staffing levels. Additionally, the decree ordered the Jail to permit both recreational courtyards to be used simultaneously. The decree stated that each inmate should be given an initial hygiene kit, and it ordered various improvements in sanitation and medical care. The decree also ordered that no inmate should ever be solitarily confined in a metal "box" at any time. The decree also ordered various improvements in fire safety and plumbing, and addressed issues of non-punitive segregation.

Following a series of motions and reports, the court on October 3, 1994 (Judge Potter) approved an order amending the original decree and eliminating requirements for further court oversight.